Two mRNA isoforms of homeobox transcription factor Prox1 in human liver cirrhosis, in hepatocellular and in cholangiocellular carcinoma

Aims: Prospero-related homeobox 1 (Prox1) transcription factor is a hepatocellular differentiation marker, and is absent from biliary epithelial cells. In this study Prox1-gene-expression was investigated at mRNA and at protein levels in normal human liver tissue, in histologically normal liver surrounding primary liver tumours, in cirrhotic human liver samples, in hepatocellular (HCC) and cholangiocellular carcinomas (CCC), and in HCC- and biliary adenocarcinoma- cell lines. Methods: mRNA and protein expression of Prox1 was analysed by PCR methods using exon-specific primers, by northern blot analysis, by weste…